Health Beyond the Rules

As part of a course I’m taking, one of the assignments was to watch the documentary Fed Up and share my reflections. If you’ve seen it, you’ll know it dives deep into sugar, food marketing, and the rise of obesity in the United States (though the themes are just as relevant here in Canada). It’s the kind of film that makes you shake your head at how food is marketed to us, especially to kids, and how much of our grocery store is designed to keep us hooked.

But as I watched, I kept thinking: does this way of framing the problem actually help us? The families in the movie were struggling to “do the right thing.” Many turned to low-fat foods in the hope that they would finally lose weight, and yet they still felt stuck.

Yes, it’s true that sugar is everywhere. Yes, the food industry has played a massive role in shaping our habits. And yes, our health is worth paying attention to. But the message in Fed Up, like so many health documentaries, circles back to the same old narrative: if only people ate less and moved more, they wouldn’t be overweight.

Here’s where I think the conversation goes off track.

Because when health is reduced to weight, we miss the bigger picture. We overlook how shame, guilt, and fear of food affect the way we live. We ignore how access, culture, and stress all play into our choices. And we hand people yet another reason to feel like they’ve failed.

What Fed Up reminded me of is how easy it is to swing from one extreme to another. Demonizing sugar can feel like the “answer,” but most of us know what happens when we try to cut something out completely. Restriction tends to backfire. Most of us know the cycle: eating “perfectly” until we don’t, feeling guilty, then doubling down even harder.

And this is why I’m moving toward a non-diet approach. Because I’ve seen how chasing rules and “fixes” leaves people feeling defeated. It’s not about ignoring the reality of how food impacts our health. It’s about looking at the whole picture: our relationship with food, how we care for ourselves, and how we can make choices without piling on guilt or fear.

Instead of asking, “How do I eat perfectly to avoid sugar?” the more helpful question might be:

• “What foods give me energy and satisfaction?”

• “How do I want to feel after a meal?”

• “What would it look like to trust myself around all foods, including sugar?”

Watching Fed Up reminded me that while we absolutely need to question the systems shaping our food supply, we also need to change the conversation with ourselves. Health isn’t found in fear. It’s built through trust, flexibility, and curiosity.

So here’s my takeaway: sugar doesn’t need to be your enemy, and weight doesn’t need to be your measure of worth. Your relationship with food can be about trust, choice, and what supports your life in the long run.